Songs that changed for you after you learned the lyrics

[Bullgrit]

One the best examples of this idea for me is "Afternoon Delight" by the Starland Vocal Band. I remember liking this song when I was a kid just because it was a happy sounding tune. Then when I learned the actual lyrics and subject of the song as an adult, it now makes me laugh. I still like the song, but for completely different reasons now

Also, "Wonderful" by Everclear. When this song was first pointed out to me, it was because of the Star Wars reference. I liked the tune, but I never really gave the lyrics much thought, until relatively recently. Now that I know the words and the meaning, it really gets me in a deep place. (I remember my parents' divorce when I was around 6 years old.)

What is a song that you liked for a long time, (maybe as a child), and then learned the lyrics/meaning and came to like it in a whole different way, (maybe as an adult)?

Bullgrit

 

[Kramodlog]

The Harlem Shake. I though it was just a nice beat. Than I learn what "con los terroristas" ment and I loved it more.

 

[Dioltach]

"Born in the USA" (actually, about half Springsteen's songs qualify). "Twist in my Sobriety" by Tanita Tikaram changed from a pleasant tune to "what on Earth is she talking about?"

 

[Zombie_Babies]

Why don't ya'all post some examples of what you misheard and explain why whatever changed changed? We're all not familiar with every song ever written.

Like, I get the Afternoon Delight one but none of the rest. I think we'd have a lot more fun if we told each other what we misheard.

 

[Kramodlog]

Why don't ya'all post some examples of what you misheard and explain why whatever changed changed? We're all not familiar with every song ever written.

Like, I get the Afternoon Delight one but none of the rest. I think we'd have a lot more fun if we told each other what we misheard.

I can't understand spanish, this is why I couldn't understand the lyrics.

 

[Dioltach]

It's not a case of mishearing: you hear the chorus and form an assumption about what the song is about. Then you actually listen to the lyrics and realise it's much more complicated. "Vamos a la Playa" is another example: not a happy summer song, but a song about nuclear war.

 

[Zombie_Babies]

It's not a case of mishearing: you hear the chorus and form an assumption about what the song is about. Then you actually listen to the lyrics and realise it's much more complicated. "Vamos a la Playa" is another example: not a happy summer song, but a song about nuclear war.

Ok, mishearing or whatever - not all of us are familiar with the lyrics for every song ever written and every possibly assumption someone could have made about it. Better?

 

[sabrinathecat]

I grew up hearing "Angel in the Centerfold" on the bus to school, but never listened to the words until I was about 25.

"I stayed up listening to ___'s 'I Touch Myself' for a long time."
"Oh, I love that song. Wait. That's what it's about? Ewww"
--great Buffy & Willow aside.

 

[Meatboy]

Alt J's Breezeblocks. It's still a good song but learning it's about a man defending his fiancé from a crazy ex with murder just changes things.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I don't know the name of it, but I was listening to some up-tempo, gleeful, peppy neoclassical Icelandic songs on NPR one day. By he tone and music, you'd have thought it was about teenage love...like in Grease.

According to the interview with the composer, they were singing about wanton slaughter of their enemies, revenge and whatnot.*






* like..."Tell me more, tell me more, did you kill everyone? Tell me more, tell me more, did you spill lots of blood?"